AP PhotoInstant Reply in Major League Baseball is the subject of an ESPN 'Outside The Lines' Special

Last June when umpire Jim Joyce blew the call heard around the world, the subject of instant reply in MLB was once again pushed to the forefront.

As you know, MLB only uses instant reply when there is a questionable home run that needs a closer look.

Aside from those situations, MLB commissioner Bud Selig seems to have little to no interest in expanding it's use, and said so in a recent radio interview on ESPN St. Louis.

Now ESPN's 'Outside the Lines' program has pushed the issue to the national forefront, and has posed the question to 40 Hall of Fame players.

The award winning program also conducted its own survey, and found that of the 184 plays that were reviewed over a two week period, 20 percent were decided incorrectly by MLB umpires.
Hall of Famer Speaking on ESPN's 'Outside the Lines'

How would I come down on this issue?

The answer seems simple enough. Under no circumstances would I use technology to ever judge balls and strikes, but instant reply is fine with me in every other situation.

And this is coming from a person who very much appreciates the human element in sports.

Professional tennis uses an electronic system called a 'Hawk Eye' to judge line calls.

We already see a balls and strikes system used when we watch Red Sox games on NESN.

Not in favor of that ever being used, but for close calls on running the bases, and fair and foul balls ... sure why not.

The NFL, NHL, NBA, and right on down the line, all have expanded uses of instant reply.

There is an old saying I would always hear while walking the backstretch at Belmont Park during my days covering horse racing. It went, "Everybody can't be along for the ride except Jim".

In this case, Jim, is actually Bud. And it seems he's the only guy not willing to let the horse out of the barn.